MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 24: Ricky Hatton of Great Britain and Vyacheslav Senchenko (R) of Ukraine exchange blows during their welterweight bout at MEN Arena on November 24, 2012 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)

Photo: Chris Brunskill, Getty Images

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 24: Ricky Hatton of Great Britain...

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Robert Guerrero (right) lands a right hook to the face of Andre Berto en route to a unanimous decision victory.

Photo: Jae C. Hong, Associated Press

Robert Guerrero (right) lands a right hook to the face of Andre...

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Robert Guerrero, right, knocks down Andre Berto in the second round of a WBC interim welterweight title fight in Ontario, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. Guerrero won by unanimous decision after the 12th round. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Photo: Jae C. Hong, Associated Press

Robert Guerrero, right, knocks down Andre Berto in the second round...

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Robert Guerrero raises his arm after the final round of a WBC interim welterweight title fight against Andre Berto in Ontario, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. Guerrero won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Photo: Jae C. Hong, Associated Press

Robert Guerrero raises his arm after the final round of a WBC...

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Andre Berto walks to his corner after the 11th round of a WBC interim welterweight title fight with Robert Guerrero, in Ontario, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. Guerrero won by unanimous decision after the 12th round. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Photo: Jae C. Hong, Associated Press

Andre Berto walks to his corner after the 11th round of a WBC...

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Robert Guerrero, right, knocks down Andre Berto during the second round of a WBC interim welterweight title fight in Ontario, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. Guerrero won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Photo: Jae C. Hong, Associated Press

Robert Guerrero, right, knocks down Andre Berto during the second...

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Robert Guerrero, left, takes a punch from Andre Berto in the 12th round of a WBC interim welterweight title fight in Ontario, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. Guerrero won by unanimous decision after the 12th round. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero scored knockdowns in each of the first two rounds Saturday and went on to a unanimous decision victory over former welterweight champion Andre Berto in Ontario (San Bernardino County).

All three judges scored the bout 116-110, giving Guerrero eight of the 12 rounds plus a point for each knockdown.

It was not the sort of tactical fight for which Guerrero was known as a 126-pounder five years ago. It was a slugfest. Guerrero took the fight to one of the most physically imposing 147-pounders of recent years and beat him up.

A looping overhand left caught Berto near the end of the first round, and a punch that sliced Berto's right eyelid and a series of body shots put him down in the second.

"I did tell Andre I was going to beat him down, so I had to be a man of my word," Guerrero said. "I had to get on the inside with him and work his body. If you keep him on the outside, he has quick hands and he catches you."

Berto (28-2) did catch Guerrero with several right-handed power shots.

Although the ferocity of the bout brought talk of a rematch, Guerrero repeated that his objective is a bout with unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. Saturday's action may have brought that about.

Hatton loses: Former junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton, 34, whose two-round knockout loss to Manny Pacquiao drove him to retirement in 2009, lost his comeback bid when Vyacheslav Senchenko (33-1) stopped him with a body punch in the ninth round of their welterweight bout in Manchester, England. ... "I needed one more fight to see if I had still got it, and I haven't," said Hatton, who announced he is again retired.